Culture

Classic Board Games That Are Better As Video Games

On the sliding continuum of ‘gaming as a worthy pursuit,’ board games are respected more than video games. It probably has something to do with age and endurance — board games have been around for thousands of years, and they’ve been associated, time and again, with the leisure class. Senet, the first recorded board game…

Kotaku ‘Shop Contest: Behind Microsoft’s Holographic Wall

This past week Microsoft debuted Hololens, a holographic Windows 10 interface that could hide a Minecraft-like game behind your walls. What else can the holographic Windows of the future help us hide? Strap on your ‘Shop Contest goggles, kids. Now before you get all excited, no porn. It’s not that it’s offensive so much as…

Sunday Comics: No Need To Yell

Welcome to Kotaku‘s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon. Nerf NOW!! by Josué Pereira. Published January 24. Read more of Nerf NOW!! Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich. Published January 19. Read more of Awkward Zombie Penny Arcade by Jerry Holkins and…

This Week In The Business: An (Over) Promising Future

QUOTE | “It did remind me of [Kinect]. You kind of want to scream ‘don’t over promise these things.'” – Designer Peter Molyneux of 22cans, talking about Microsoft HoloLens from his perspective as an early Kinect developer Elsewhere in the business of video games this past week … QUOTE | “There have been a lot…

If Microsoft is serious about PC games, Xbox One should be the real Steam Machine. Here’s some interesting reading fromVG247 on how Valve’s living room centric Steam Machine plot failed, and how Microsoft—fresh off a years-long stint of pretending PC gaming doesn’t exist—could partner with Steam and pick up where they left off. The gist:…

You Can’t Escape H1Z1‘s Killer Bear

Today on Highlight Reel we have a matter-defying H1Z1 bear, impressive Far Cry 4 wingsuit stunts, flashy entrances in GTA V and more! Watch the video above, then link any of your favorite highlights in the comments, and be sure to check out, like and subscribe the original videos via the links below. CS:GO –…

Everything That Goes Into A McDonalds French Fry

It’s probably not surprising to hear this, but McDonald’s french fries contain way more than just oil, potatoes and salt. In fact, McDonald’s fries have a whopping 19 ingredients in the USA, all of which are broken down in this image: You may be thinking to yourself, wait a minute! Why are some ingredients listed…

Ask Dr. Nerdlove: Save Me From A Terrible Kisser!

Hello, Internet! Welcome to Ask Dr. NerdLove, the only dating advice column that can prove the Millenium Falcon is faster than the Enterprise NCC-1701-D. This week we have two letters, each trying to solve a fundamental relationship issue: How long do you hang in and fight and when do you finally throw in the towel?…

Steampunk Iron Man Was, At Least, Actually Made Of Iron

Aleksandr Nikonov is a concept artist from Russia. We actually featured one of his drawings in a recent Final Fantasy roundup, but today we’re looking at a whole range of his stuff. You can see more of Aleksandr’s work at his ArtStation site To see the larger pics in all their glory (or, if they’re…

Track: Survival of the Fittest | Artist: Mobb Deep | Album: The Infamous Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

What If Captain America Wasn’t White OR Black…

Captain America is a white guy, right? Most of the time, yes, he is. But what does it say about the character — or more importantly America itself — when someone who doesn’t fit the tradition puts on the uniform? That’s the question asked by Vishavjit Singh — a Sikh — in his short film…

Tiny Battlefield Vehicle Is Surprisingly Deadly

Today on Highlight Reel we have land mines in H1Z1, killer parachutes in GTA V, some unlucky NPCs, and an homage to the skid loader in Battlefield 4. Watch the video above, then link any of your favorite highlights in the comments, and be sure to check out, like and subscribe the original videos via…

Valve Looking Into Steam Linux Bug That Deletes Hard Drives

Steam on Linux users, beware! Your hard drive(s) could be in grave danger. Per PC Gamer, here’s the skinny: last week Github user Keyvin found that, after moving his Steam folder to a new location, it suddenly and inexplicably stopped launching. After a crash, he restarted Steam. It seemed like things were in working order…

Star Wars’ Most Explosive Moment, Captured Perfectly In A Video Game

Since it’s out today on GoG, meaning a bunch of people are going to be playing it for the first time, let’s talk about X-Wing Alliance. And how it has the best ending of any Star Wars game ever made. X-Wing Alliance, the third in Lucasarts’ trilogy of space shooters, took away years of my…

Do Not F**k With Mikasa

Anna Nikonova is a concept artist from Russia who works in the video game business. You can see more of Anna’s work at her personal siteand Behance gallery To see the larger pics in all their glory (or, if they’re big enough, so you can save them as wallpaper), click on the “expand” button in…

Nice Destiny Gun

As a Titan with a love of Hand Cannons myself, I’m digging this replica built by Bill Doran If you want to try and make one yourself, he’s included blueprints and tips in the description of the video below.

30 Seconds To Badass Titanfall Cosplay

Here’s New Zealand’s own CpCody, turning some hunks of foam into a very convincing pilot outfit from Titanfall.

Track: You Put A Smell On Me | Artist: Matthew Dear | Album: Black City Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

War Is (Beautiful) Hell

Ivan Pozdnyakov is a Russian artist who works for ZeptoLab, the developers of Cut The Rope. Don’t let that put you off, though, his portfolio is pretty fantastic. You can see more of Ivan’s work at his personal site and ArtStation page To see the larger pics in all their glory (or, if they’re big…

GTA Monster Truck Pulls Off Sweet Judo Move

Today on Highlight Reel we have a load of H1Z1 clips, a monster truck pulling off a harai goshi in GTA V, new animations for Battlefield 4 and more. Watch the video above, then link any of your favorite highlights in the comments, and be sure to check out, like and subscribe the original videos…